Spider-Webbed
by SweetDragonSeeker
Summary: "I was careful." He promises, "I didn't go looking for death." He nuzzles her hair gently, purrs deep in his throat.
1. Chapter 1

**No matter how awesome it would be, I don't own Alice.**

**Ok, so this is my first time writing for Heart/Clover no Kuni no Alice, and I'm kinda nervous about it. But I like how this came out. Enjoy. This probly takes place in the universe of Cheshire Cat Waltz.  
**

**SSS**

"Boris?" she's been looking for the cat for days, and she finds him coughing up blood in the forest beyond the clock tower, clinging to a tree to keep himself upright. His head jerks up at the sound of her voice, green eyes bright with pain, but when she steps forward he holds out a hand, warning her away. "Boris?!" there's blood trickling down his stomach, but he still won't let her come close.

"Get out of here. Go back to the tower, Alice." His voice is rough, but almost steady, although blood dribbles down his chin as he speaks. Her eyes widen, and she darts forward, ignoring his placating hand. There's only one reason Boris would disappear, let alone send her away when he was so hurt.

_Cats run away and hide when-_

"What happened?" she demands, trying to get close enough to examine his wound, but he stops her with an embrace, wrapping the arm not braced against the tree around her and pulling her against him, hiding her face against his shoulder.

"Shhh," the sound is almost a purr. "Shh. There's nothing you can do."

She tries to protest and pull away, but even weak and injured he's stronger than her. He nuzzles her hair gently, the soothing gesture ruined by the shallowness of his breathing and his claw-like grip on her shoulder. "I was careful." He promises, voice a rasp in her ear. "I didn't go looking for death."

_But death has found him anyway. _

"I'll be replaced." There's no conviction in his voice, but he says it anyway. "There'll be another Cheshire Cat soon."

"No." she shakes her head almost violently and he tightens his grip as though to still her. There's almost a smile in his voice when he speaks again.

"Gonna miss me, Alice?"

Her nod against his shoulder is accompanied by a teardrop splashing on his skin.

"Let me help." She pleads, but he only purrs deep in his throat.

"I'm…glad. That you'll miss me." he presses his forehead against her temple, inhaling deeply.

"Boris-"

He's gone before she can finish the sentence, arm slipping from her shoulders as he buckles, tumbling to the ground. He lies there, pale and unmoving just long enough for her to fall to her knees beside him; then a light glows, and there's nothing but a clock lying glinting in the grass, its glass front spider-webbed with cracks and smeared with the Cheshire Cat's blood.

"Boris!" she chokes on the word, reaching tearfully for the clock. Gingerly, she lifts it into her palm, running her thumb across the cracked surface as tears stream down her cheeks. "Boris."

But the clock doesn't answer, hands unmoving as it lies silently in her palm.

**SSS**

**Soo… Yeah. I may continue this. Was it a dream? Was it real? Maybe we'll find out. Maybe not. Boris is like…one of my favorite characters. I have a tendency to kill off all my favorites at least once in a fic, sad as that is. I don't know. The feels, as my friend Owl would say. Review, please. No flames. **

**~Seeker**


	2. Chapter 2

**I still don't own it…**** Sad as that is. **

**So I believe someone asked me to continue this, and this is what I came up with. Enjoy. **

**SSS**

She wakes with tears falling freely down her cheeks and rolls over at once, seeking solace and the reassurance that her nightmare was no more than a dream. But the space beside her is empty, the sheets cold. She jerks upright, sob catching in her throat.

It was real. It couldn't have been real. She stares around the empty room, ice flooding her veins, and leaking out through her eyes in more glittering tears. She looks down at her hands, and she can almost see the clock in her palm again, sparkling and broken-faced and covered in blood. Her throat catches on another sob, and she closes her eyes to hide the sight.

_He's gone. _

The door creaks open. "Alice?" a cool hand finds its way onto her cheek as something warm and wet flicks away her tears. Her eyes fly open.

Boris stares back, his head tilted at an odd angle, so that for once she catches a glimpse of both concerned green eyes. "What's wrong?" he asks, licking away another tear. For a moment she just stares at him, feeling her eyes going wide. Then she tackles him, throwing her arms around him and pulling him to her as he chokes out a startled meow. Burying her head against his chest, she listens to the reassuring tick of his clock.

"A-Alice?!" he stutters, arms coming around her to hold her. "What's wrong?"

She shakes her head and pulls away, just far enough to reach up and press a kiss to his mouth.

"Mmrrw?" he mumbles against her lips, returning the kiss with confusion. He pulls away abruptly to stare down at her, brows drawn down and eyes wary. "Are you alright? You're acting-"

"You died!" she sobs, pressing her face into his neck.

"What? Alice, I'm right here. I'm alright." His voice softens with understanding on the last two words, and he leans back, cupping her face in his hand. "It was a dream, Alice." He murmurs, nuzzling her hair and brushing a kiss to her forehead. "It was just a dream."

Alice looks up at him, blue eyes wide and teary, and gave him a watery, almost distrustful smile.

"Promise?" she asks.

_It's hard to distinguish anymore between dreams and dreams of dreams. _

He purrs, hands rubbing soothingly over her back and shoulders. Then she squeaks as he rolls onto his side, pulling her with him and tucking her close to his chest, chin against her hair. "I promise, Alice. I'm here."

She nods, sniffling, and snuggles closer, wrapping her arms around him and burying her fingers in his hair as though unwilling to ever let go. A slightly smug smile tugs at the corner of his mouth, and his own arms tighten around her. He presses one more kiss to the top of her head, before closing his eyes and resting his cheek against her soft brown hair.

"I'm not going anywhere." He whispers, and he swears he feels her smile.

**SSS**

**I've been having trouble with endings lately, though this is better than most I've done recently, and I'm kinda happy with it. :/ Anyway, whatcha think? Review! No flames. Thanks! ~Seeker**


	3. Alternate Ending

**Don't own it. **

**So, this is an alternate ending for those who wanted something a little less fluffy as a follow-up to chapter one. It was bouncing around my head when I was trying to write the ending, and so I decided to post both. I don't know about how Ace's character turned out here...or Elliot. But I like it. :D **

**SSS**

"Gimme the clock, Alice."

"No."

"Alice, don't make me hurt you. Give me the clock."

"No."

"Alice." Ace kneels down in front of her and puts his fingers under her chin, forcing her to look at him. "He's gone. Give me the clock."

"No." her eyes blaze, and she jerks back, bloody clock clutched in both hands.

"There'll be a new one soon," he cajoles, reaching for the timepiece again. "He'll be replaced."

"He's _not _replaceable." She retorts, tears streaming down her cheeks as she glares defiantly at him. The knave sighs, rocking back on his heels, and rises to his feet, drawing his sword in one fluid movement.

"I don't have time for this, Alice."

Her eyes widen and she scoots back against a tree as the blade comes slashing down, metal glinting dangerously in the evening light.

!Bang!

Ace looks up, distracted, as the bullet impacts his sword, hitting just hard enough to knock his trajectory off. Elliot steps out of the trees to Alice's left, gun still trained on the knight as he moves to stand between them.

"What the hell are you doing?" he demands, and Ace shrugs in response, apparently unsurprised that Elliot appears to know who was under the bloody cloak and mask. He shoulders his sword and rubs the back of his neck with his free hand.

"She's in my way. I have work to do."

Elliot turns his head, glancing down at Alice, and his jaw clenches at the sight of the clock. He looks back at Ace, as though considering.

"The Cheshire Cat's?" he asks, and she nods. He glances back at Ace.

"Alice," he says softly, voice deep with anger. "Give me the clock." But despite the fury in his tone, there is no hostility in the hand he holds out. Alice looks up at him, then at Ace, then back.

_Elliot hates the clocks. He would never hand it over to Ace. _

Hands shaking, Alice stands. Ace cocks his head, watching as, hesitantly, eyes trained on the March Hare's face, she places the clock in his palm.

Elliot closes his hand on the clock and crouches down, placing it on the ground between himself and the cloaked knight. Then, before Alice can protest, he straightens, wrapping his arm around her and hiding her face in his chest as Ace's eyes widen and he raises his sword.

!Bang!

Alice flinches at the sound of the clock shattering as the bullet strikes home, her fingers clenching in Elliot's jacket. The tears start again, streaming down her face, and she isn't sure if she wants to thank Elliot or run from him. She didn't want Boris' clock to belong to someone else, but she doesn't think she wanted it destroyed either.

_Losing Boris was hard. Losing his clock is almost as bad. _

Another shot follows the last, impacting metal with an audibly close clang.

"You're gonna hit Alice, you ass." Elliot growls, shifting her so that he once more forms a shield between her and the knight. There is a pause as Alice continues to cry, quaking against Elliot's side.

Ace sighs.

"I don't want to hurt Alice. But you broke the rules."

Elliot shrugs, and there is the sound of the hammer of his gun being pulled back. Ace laughs, and there is a shhhk noise as he sheaths his sword. "But I still have a lot of work to do. You've gotten me in enough trouble with Julius as it is."

Elliot laughs humorlessly, the sound followed by the noise of Ace striding carelessly away into the bushes.

Elliot sheaths his gun and places a hand on top of Alice's head.

"I'm sorry."

She shakes her head, jerking away from him and stumbling back against the tree.

_Boris is dead, and yet this world will go on as though nothing has changed._

On the ground near Elliot's feet, the remains of the clock glitter.

**SSS**

**So? Review! No flames! ~Seeker**


End file.
